Motivation

Why Leslie Knope Inspires Me

We all have real-life superheroes – people who we’ve met or learned about in school who inspire us. But sometimes, the characters we meet in books, TV and movies are just as inspiring! So each week, we’ll highlight someone who’s made a difference to us – despite being fictional.

First up is a character that’s inspiring to me: Leslie Knope from the NBC show Parks & Recreation. Amy Poehler brought this bureaucrat from the Midwest to life on our TV screens. And I couldn’t be more thankful that she did.

Part of the reason why I’m so inspired by Leslie is that she can get so much done. Sure, a lot of it has to do with the fact that she’s fictional. But even so, Ms. Knope absolutely, positively never gives up. It took her 6 years to build a park on an abandoned lot smaller than most people’s backyards.

That park is just one example of how she helped her town. But Leslie shows the same determination and focus when it comes to helping the people she loves. No other person would turn a Valentine’s dance at a community center into a search for a soul mate. But Leslie did in an attempt to get her best friend Ann (Rashida Jones) a date. She also spent the whole evening distracting a psychopathic ex-wife, just so her friend and boss Ron (Nick Offerman) could have some peace.

And that’s the magic of Leslie Knope. Not only does she care about the big things – government shutdowns, a friend’s divorce- but she also cares about the little things. For example, when she was a city council member, Leslie helped one of her constituents remove the slugs from her lawn. Something that inconsequential wouldn’t have occurred to most people.

If I had to meet a real-life Leslie Knope, she’d probably demotivate me. But that’s why I’m glad she’s fictional. At any moment, if I need some motivation or even to just have a laugh, she and her show are just a few clicks away – ready to inspire to me tackle that mountain of emails, write these posts, or even attempt to clean my room. Because if Leslie Knope can do everything she does in a half-hour show, then I remember that I can do anything.

Leslie is a champion for her town, for her friends, and in her life. I’m making it sound like she’s completely unstoppable – which she’s not. We learn that the hard way when she’s recalled from her city council position. But the fact that Leslie Knope can fail and bounce back is just reassuring. If she can, then anyone can. And if that’s not inspiring I don’t know what is.

We all have real-life superheroes – people who we’ve met or learned about in school who inspire us. But sometimes, the characters we meet in books, TV and movies are just as inspiring! So each week, we’ll highlight someone who’s made a difference to us – despite being fictional.

First up is a character that’s inspiring to me: Leslie Knope from the NBC show Parks & Recreation. Amy Poehler brought this bureaucrat from the Midwest to life on our TV screens. And I couldn’t be more thankful that she did.

Part of the reason why I’m so inspired by Leslie is that she can get so much done. Sure, a lot of it has to do with the fact that she’s fictional. But even so, Ms. Knope absolutely, positively never gives up. It took her 6 years to build a park on an abandoned lot smaller than most people’s backyards.

That park is just one example of how she helped her town. But Leslie shows the same determination and focus when it comes to helping the people she loves. No other person would turn a Valentine’s dance at a community center into a search for a soul mate. But Leslie did in an attempt to get her best friend Ann (Rashida Jones) a date. She also spent the whole evening distracting a psychopathic ex-wife, just so her friend and boss Ron (Nick Offerman) could have some peace.

And that’s the magic of Leslie Knope. Not only does she care about the big things – government shutdowns, a friend’s divorce- but she also cares about the little things. For example, when she was a city council member, Leslie helped one of her constituents remove the slugs from her lawn. Something that inconsequential wouldn’t have occurred to most people.

If I had to meet a real-life Leslie Knope, she’d probably demotivate me. But that’s why I’m glad she’s fictional. At any moment, if I need some motivation or even to just have a laugh, she and her show are just a few clicks away – ready to inspire to me tackle that mountain of emails, write these posts, or even attempt to clean my room. Because if Leslie Knope can do everything she does in a half-hour show, then I remember that I can do anything.

Leslie is a champion for her town, for her friends, and in her life. I’m making it sound like she’s completely unstoppable – which she’s not. We learn that the hard way when she’s recalled from her city council position. But the fact that Leslie Knope can fail and bounce back is just reassuring. If she can, then anyone can. And if that’s not inspiring I don’t know what is.